.300 weatherby - need some help

[tiglesias33]

Hi all, looking for some input cause my searches on the web have not provided much help and I don’t have a broad network of gun enthusiasts/ hunters around me.
I live in NY, strike 1 for these topics haha
I picked up hunting and shooting about 7 years ago or so at 28... and have been learning on the fly self taught and through forums like this.
My first rifle is a rem 700 sps varmint in .308 not knowing anything at the time beyond that I knew 308 was my caliber of choice for my first hunting rifle and that I got a great deal on the package I bought it. It’s a good rifle, but not the best package. I intend to swap this out for either a tikka or another rem 700 without the heavy barrel at some point. Either 308 or 6.5 most likely.
I’m left handed (strike 2), so I do like a left hand bolt, so was doing some researching recently and really like everything about weatherby mark V.
My goals are to head west at some point for mule deer / elk and hopefully even moose.
I primarily bow hunt in NY and will chase that out west as well, but I’m looking for another caliber rifle to begin to work with towards the goal of taking out west where some longer shots may loom.
Strike 3 - this has been very long winded to get to my end point.
I don’t have any recoil on the .308,
I shoot some 12 gauge shotgun slugs out of my long barrels here and there but they kick pretty good in my opinion .
I’m looking at a mark V in .300 weatherby since they only offer lefties in magnum loads. My question is, is this leap a bad idea without having shot any magnums before.
Also, initially I was thinking the weathermark LT but at 5.9 pounds, would I be setting myself up for failure?
Any input would be great.
Unfortunately I don’t have anyone I know who’s I can shoot (any magnum rifle load) at this time


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[452b264]

Any of the 30 cal. magnums kick hard so they make a very poor choice for a first rifle especially a feather weight . If you put a brake on them they will kick like a 270/308 but they are VERY loud in the field without the brake on. The 300 weatherby ammo is about $85 per box, something to think about. I would buy a 270 win. , 280 rem, 3006 , 6.5 cm, 308 win. etc. and you will be just fine. I have owned a half dozen magnums mostly 30 cal. and they dont kill game any better or faster then my 3006 spr.

 

[Jd259]

I own a couple weatherby mark v’s both accumarks I have a 300 wby with no brake on it and a 30-378 wby mag and the 300 kicks ten times what the 30-378 does if you go the 300 route my suggestion would be definitely get one with a brake on it you won’t regret it my 30-378 has the factory accubrake on it and it works great loud a shit tho but worth the trade off. The wby’s are super particular on what they like to shoot from my experience it’s been a constant battle trying to find something they will consistently shoot good. If I were you I would buy something on a 700 platform they’ll be easier to get to shoot that the wby magnums will be and if your set on a magnum look into a rum or something along that line.

 

[tiglesias33]

I own a couple weatherby mark v’s both accumarks I have a 300 wby with no brake on it and a 30-378 wby mag and the 300 kicks ten times what the 30-378 does if you go the 300 route my suggestion would be definitely get one with a brake on it you won’t regret it my 30-378 has the factory accubrake on it and it works great loud a shit tho but worth the trade off. The wby’s are super particular on what they like to shoot from my experience it’s been a constant battle trying to find something they will consistently shoot good. If I were you I would buy something on a 700 platform they’ll be easier to get to shoot that the wby magnums will be and if your set on a magnum look into a rum or something along that line.

Most have the brake on them factory now. I was definitely looking at ones with a brake. But was looking for some input from the community on where that recoil would lie, if the jump would be more than I am expecting from my current .308


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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If the recoil from a 308 Win "kicks pretty good" for you, absolutely avoid magnum calibers. In similar weights, the 300 Weatherby with have about twice the recoil as the 308 Win. It will be significantly worse with about a 7# all-in rifle.

Id avoid other common calibers such as a 30-06 or 270 Win since their recoil is about the same, or a bit more than, the 308. If you are fine with loud noises and potentially doing permanent hearing damage, you can use a brake as that will reduce the recoil.

Since elk is in the plans, look at the 7mm-08. If that is still too much, put a Limbsaver recoil pad on your rifle.

 

[tiglesias33]

If the recoil from a 308 Win "kicks pretty good" for you, absolutely avoid magnum calibers. In similar weights, the 300 Weatherby with have about twice the recoil as the 308 Win. It will be significantly worse with about a 7# all-in rifle.

Id avoid other common calibers such as a 30-06 or 270 Win since their recoil is about the same, or a bit more than, the 308. If you are fine with loud noises and potentially doing permanent hearing damage, you can use a brake as that will reduce the recoil.

Since elk is in the plans, look at the 7mm-08. If that is still too much, put a Limbsaver recoil pad on your rifle.

The .308 has no kick to me. Feels like a tap. The kicks pretty good was in relevance to 12 gauge long barrel slugs. Sorry realize I short changed that part of the explanation


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[Jd259]

Most have the brake on them factory now. I was definitely looking at ones with a brake. But was looking for some input from the community on where that recoil would lie, if the jump would be more than I am expecting from my current .308


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With the brake my 30-378 kicks less than many of my much smaller calipers without a brake. I’ve got a .243 that kicks worse than my big magnums with brakes the magnums with brakes are more of a push than a kick just wear ur ear protection and you’ll be just fine.

 

[tiglesias33]

With the brake my 30-378 kicks less than many of my much smaller calipers without a brake. I’ve got a .243 that kicks worse than my big magnums with brakes the magnums with brakes are more of a push than a kick just wear ur ear protection and you’ll be just fine.

And 30-378 has less kick than 300wby?
Interesting cause they list it higher than the 300 on their site


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[Alaskanopolis]

I have an accumark in 338-378 and I shoot 280 Barnes out of it at 2900 FPS. With the brake the recoil is about the same as my Ruger American Compact 7mm-08. I’m also a leftie, so I’m in a similar boat as you. If I didn’t already have a lightweight custom rifle I would have a Backcountry Ti in 300 wby in an instant. People seem really split on Weatherby for whatever reason: mostly prices of rifles and ammo, I think. Other manufacturers load for the 300 wby, so you can find reasonably priced ammo for it. Also, Weatherby just announced they lowered all their ammo prices by 30%, so that should help. I feel Weatherby is in a bit of a corporate shift right now and is trying more and more to appeal to the “Rokslide” type hunter.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

The .308 has no kick to me. Feels like a tap. The kicks pretty good was in relevance to 12 gauge long barrel slugs. Sorry realize I short changed that part of the explanation


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Then disregard part of what I said.

My revised list is 7mm-08, 270 Win, and 30-06. If you do feel the need to go magnum, then look at a 300 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[Jd259]

And 30-378 has less kick than 300wby?
Interesting cause they list it higher than the 300 on their site


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Yes it kicks less than my 300 but I don’t have a break on the 300.

 

[6mm Remington]

I'd suggest a 30-06 or maybe a 280AI. Both great cartridges that won't beat you to death and still perform like champs.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

Run the 300wby with a brake. A lot of people say they don’t like brakes because they’re loud, but that’s a moot point for me because I care about my hearing and wear protection even with unbraked rifles. I wear the Otto electronic in-ear and they work great. I just used them on a successful brown bear hunt along with my 338-378.

 

[ofl0926]

Any of the 30 cal. magnums kick hard so they make a very poor choice for a first rifle especially a feather weight . If you put a brake on them they will kick like a 270/308 but they are VERY loud in the field without the brake on. The 300 weatherby ammo is about $85 per box, something to think about. I would buy a 270 win. , 280 rem, 3006 , 6.5 cm, 308 win. etc. and you will be just fine. I have owned a half dozen magnums mostly 30 cal. and they dont kill game any better or faster then my 3006 spr.

not all Weatherby ammo is this price. I believe Weatherby reduced their ammo prices last year. also you can purchase their cheaper ammo and hunt with it no problem(39.99 for a box) I took my biggest whitetail in South Dakota shooting the cheaper Weatherby ammo

 

[ofl0926]

Hi all, looking for some input cause my searches on the web have not provided much help and I don’t have a broad network of gun enthusiasts/ hunters around me.
I live in NY, strike 1 for these topics haha
I picked up hunting and shooting about 7 years ago or so at 28... and have been learning on the fly self taught and through forums like this.
My first rifle is a rem 700 sps varmint in .308 not knowing anything at the time beyond that I knew 308 was my caliber of choice for my first hunting rifle and that I got a great deal on the package I bought it. It’s a good rifle, but not the best package. I intend to swap this out for either a tikka or another rem 700 without the heavy barrel at some point. Either 308 or 6.5 most likely.
I’m left handed (strike 2), so I do like a left hand bolt, so was doing some researching recently and really like everything about weatherby mark V.
My goals are to head west at some point for mule deer / elk and hopefully even moose.
I primarily bow hunt in NY and will chase that out west as well, but I’m looking for another caliber rifle to begin to work with towards the goal of taking out west where some longer shots may loom.
Strike 3 - this has been very long winded to get to my end point.
I don’t have any recoil on the .308,
I shoot some 12 gauge shotgun slugs out of my long barrels here and there but they kick pretty good in my opinion .
I’m looking at a mark V in .300 weatherby since they only offer lefties in magnum loads. My question is, is this leap a bad idea without having shot any magnums before.
Also, initially I was thinking the weathermark LT but at 5.9 pounds, would I be setting myself up for failure?
Any input would be great.
Unfortunately I don’t have anyone I know who’s I can shoot (any magnum rifle load) at this time


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if you want the Weatherby, go for it. I own a 6.5-300wby, 270wby, 240wby and a 300wby. ammo can be found for 39.99 and up. yes it does have recoil. you can't be recoil sensitive. a break is a great idea and Weatherby will install one on your rifle if you choose their break. all in all, its your choice. lots of good magnums out there. you just need to find the one you want to shoot.
if you have any Weatherby questions, let me know

 

[DJL2]

Funnily enough, I fired a .300 Wby for the first and only time in my life today. I took my new Tikka T3x out and one of the guys at the range had his vintage .300 Wby out. His rifle had a synthetic stock (wood cracked on the original), old school 4-12 scope and typical magnum sporter barrel. My Mk1 arms estimate the rig at around 9-10 lbs all up. The recoil was comparable to my 7.6 lb 7mm RM - stout, but not unpleasant for the first 20 shots or so. The idea of shooting the same rifle as a featherweight doesn’t do it for me, though.

Personally, for what you need to hunt I can certainly do with less recoil - 7mm RM is comparable to .30-06 and that’s about where I top out for a hunting weight gun with no brake. I’m not a fan of brakes unless they‘re serving as a QD suppressor mount or it’s a competition gun. I really don’t like shooting braked rifles, especially under cover. I hate being next to someone with a braked rifle on the range.

 

[ManyBullets]

If you have to ask, you're not a magnum guy.

308 will do anything you're asking about as will many many smaller calibers that are more tolerable for you to shoot and get more proficient with.

 

[tiglesias33]

If you have to ask, you're not a magnum guy.

308 will do anything you're asking about as will many many smaller calibers that are more tolerable for you to shoot and get more proficient with.

My only thought on this, is if you’ve never shot, isn’t asking opinions of those who have valid?


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[Jim1187]

Some people find recoil an impossible to overcome monster. Yes, recoil does take some determination and effort to overcome but its not fatal or even crippling.
However in your situation I'd have to give consideration to the .257 Weatherby or 6.5-300 Weatherby. Either will certainly recoil less than a .300 Magnum. If I had to use the limited selection of Weatherby Magnums offered in Left handed rifles in order to get the rifle you are interested in and recoil concerned me.

 

[Bowhnter]

I moved to Alaska 10 years ago and my first rifle was a vanguard 300 Wby. Ammo prices are much better now than they were 10 years ago. Barnes makes some great factory ammo and is about half the price of Weatherby ammo. Anyways I love the 300 Weatherby. I've killed Sheep, Brown Bear, Caribou, and multiple moose with it and never had to track an animal to date. I switched out the recoil pad with a limb saver pad and have been really happy with it. With all that being said, this rifle is close to 10lbs so recoil is much more manageable..